Growing Up: One More Dance
by hunnyfresh
Summary: Growing Up Series: Prompt from Raspberry Not Pink: Regina teaches Henry how to waltz in time for his first ball


**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any recognizable characters**

**AN: Written for Raspberry Not Pink who wanted to see Regina teaching Henry how to waltz from the Growing Up: Gramma universe. I researched how to waltz to the best of my ability, so if there are any inaccuracies it's completely my fault. I hope you like it!**

* * *

Regina straightened from her sweeping when she heard a soft thump-thump sound coming from Henry's room. The fourteen-year old had holed himself up in his room at sporadic hours of the day, and every time Regina attempted to see what he was up to, his bed suddenly creaked and Henry would be lying in his bed with an upside down comic in his grasp.

The six months since he'd returned from the Enchanted Forest had been an interesting one. Only the previous year were the troubles of magic in Storybrooke behind them, and with the Charmings and their entourage gone back to their monarchy where Henry had stayed with them for the first six months, the wounds of the past were still too fresh for the boy to completely open up to his adoptive mother.

They were trying. They were speaking more openly, and Regina only barely managed to hold back her tears as she waited by the well to see that Henry had made good on his promise to return to her for half the year. She knew she should be giving her son space, but he was due back to the insufferable woods in a week's time, and she'd be damned if she didn't spend more quality time with him.

Replacing the broom and dustpan in the linen closet, Regina creeped through the halls of the small bungalow where Henry's room was located. She was pleased to see his door wasn't closed all the way, and peeked through the sliver of opening to see her son, tall and awkwardly lanky, earphones in his ear, his left arm high up on the air with his right arm poised on an imaginary waist as he stepped choppily around his room.

She couldn't suppress her grin and eye roll when he tripped over his own feet and muttered a few curses he had likely picked up from his blonde mother.

Not able to help herself, Regina knocked lightly on the door, amused when Henry dropped all pretences of dancing and scurried to lay on his bed.

"Come in," he called, his voice cracking and panicky.

Regina pushed the door open, noting the earphone still nestling in his ear and the bob of Henry's throat as he gulped.

She walked up to his bed and gently removed the headphones from the device before turning to leave. Cocking her head to the side, Regina spoke. "Come into the living room."

Henry flushed embarrassed before following his mother to the living room where she played with a dock, placing his music player into it as the sounds of string instruments filled the bungalow. She easily moved aside the coffee table before positioning herself in front of the couch.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked warily.

"Making space," she answered. "Do you want your mother to break her back, or will you help push the couch?"

Henry shook his head confused before moving around to the front and pushing on the furniture until the living room was cleared.

"You can dance?" Henry asked watching his mother stand in the centre of the room.

"You forget I was a queen," Regina replied before motioning Henry towards her. "And as a queen, I am well aware of the fact that court is going to present you as their heir during your fourteenth year, and since you spent your birthday here, there will be a ball in your honour when you return, yes?"

Henry nodded.

"And I won't have any son of mine making a fool of himself," Regina added before motioning to the spot beside her again. "Come on."

Henry stood in front of her, taking up the position he had seen numerous times in both real life and television. His left hand held Regina's right high above their shoulders, and his right hand cradled his mother's shoulder blade where she rested her free hand above his bicep.

"Good," she complimented, making sure his arms weren't dropping before curving her body into his right side. "Now you need to keep this posture as if your legs and torso are separate."

"Straight arms," Henry repeated. "Got it."

"What are you familiar with?"

Henry answered by putting his left foot forward, his mother complemented his movements as he stepped together then moved to the side before stepping back and coming together again. His movements were choppy and robotic, but Regina smirked at the concentrated look on his face as his lips moved silently keeping time.

"The box step," Regina nodded. "Impressive, but it can use a small adjustment."

The brunette woman released his hold of her before coming to stand beside him. "Watch me."

She stepped forward with her left, her, her foot on its tippy toes as she brought her right together. Her heels touched down as her right foot moved back a quarter turn then bringing her left together. She repeated the turning box step, her arms up as she rose and fell in time with the music before returning beside Henry. "Now you try."

Henry furrowed his brow attempting to recreate his mother's steps in his mind. He looked up when his mother tugged his elbow, encouraging him to take the first step.

"Ready?" She asked as he nodded. "One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four."

On the one count, they moved their left foot forward, then their heels came together before the third count had them making a quarter turn back with their right foot. They repeated the movements separately, Regina poised and elegant as she watched her son, his arms dropping from the position where they eventually fell to the side as he successfully, albeit crudely, completely a full rotation of the box step.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" The older woman asked.

"I can't get this in time for the ball," Henry groaned.

Regina rolled her eyes at his negativity before resuming the position with him. "Arms straight," she reminded him.

They waited a moment for the music to catch up before Regina repeated her count to prepare him. On cue, he began the basic step, mumbling the count as he watched his feet.

Regina tilted his chin up. "Posture makes this dance beautiful. The footwork will come, but this is much harder to maintain."

They completed two full sets with Henry remembering to keep his form up. "I did it!"

The excitement in his voice reminded the brunette woman of a younger more carefree Henry.

"Now, we must practice the turns."

* * *

Everyday for the week, Regina and Henry would move aside the furniture, place his iPod in the dock and practice his waltz. The turns were trickier than anticipated, but after two intense days of practice, where Henry had even practiced alone in his room when his mother called it a night, the fourteen-year old had mastered the step.

He was still an amateur, nowhere near competition level, but it was enough to please the noblemen he was going to be presented to.

Regina laughed happily as Henry, leading the dance completely glided her around the room, twirling her once before expertly turning her until they were dancing side by side, his right arm across her shoulder with her left hand cradled in his, his footwork leading them two counts forward then two counts back before he twirled her back into the starting position.

She raised an eyebrow, impressed at her son's new dance move. "Now where did you learn that?"

"Internet," he shrugged sheepishly.

"Apparently they're a better teacher than I," she teased before he swept her up around the room again.

He shook his head. "I just wanted to show you how well I've been doing."

Regina paused their dancing before pressing a palm to his cheek. "I will always be proud of you, Henry."

He beamed before adding quietly. "I wish you could be there."

Regina's breath caught in her throat at the sincerity of his words. She almost wanted to cry, finally realizing her little boy was growing up. "I've been exiled, dear. Plus, I don't think the Charmings want me there."

"I do," he insisted.

This time her eyes did water.

"I'll save a dance for you," he promised.

* * *

The next day, Regina held herself as she watched Henry leap through the portal at the well. Before stepping through, he engulfed her in a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek, promising to return for that dance.

Regina just smiled sadly, upset she was missing her son's first ball and envious of every young woman who got to dance with Henry.

That envy would disappear in fifteen years when Henry would persuade his grandparents and biological mother to allow Regina to return for his wedding in the Enchanted Forest, and request to waltz with his brunette mother during the mother/son dance.

* * *

THE END


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